A House of Cards
by The Cone
Summary: "The weakness of a card house lies in the fact that the slightest motion of one card can make everything shift in mere seconds. We aren't fast enough to keep it from falling, because by the time we perceive it, it's over. Stability is the only failsafe." A high school fic. Please read and review, I'm working hard on this! ;D. Wally&Kuki, Hoagie&Abby, Nigel&Rachel, and Fanny&Patton.
1. The Rivalry

**Ok, first actual story right here. (As in chapters, cliffhangers... plot -_-) I'm going to have a lot of fun with this, and while I will have an outline for it, at some point I plan to 'kick off the training wheels' so to speak, and start writing the way I do best; without a clue what I'm going to do. There'll be twists, turns, romance, drama, action, other stuff. This is the beginning, where I set stuff up, so if it's sorta 'blah' in terms of plot, that's why. (I've never been good at the beginning of a story, I like to jump into the middle like a maniac.) By the way, crew is a water sport, it's basically group rowing.**

**Disclaimer: **

**They say if you love something, set it free,**

**which is why I don't own KND.**

**That would make more sense if it belonged to me.**

**But I don't really care 'cause I'm rhyming, see?**

**Alright. Story, initiate.**

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_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

The second hand marched around the numbered face of Kuki's clock, counting down to the start of what would be the most interesting day of Kuki's life. The discreet sound echoed off the many different colors of her room. Rainbow monkeys, highlighted faintly by the first glimmers of sunlight coming in through the windows, were at every corner, on every surface, and in every crevice of her sleeping space.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

As the skinny red finger danced ever closer to the 6 o' clock mark, some of those who were already awakened had contacted each other to discuss the coming events, and now sat in the surreal hours of day talking about the topic on everyone's minds as they prepared themselves this morning.

High school.

"Dude, today is gonna be awesome!" A blond-haired, emerald-eyed boy of 15 shouted into his cell phone.

"I know, right? Can't wait to see the sailing team try and teach all their new freshmen!" A spanish accent exclaimed in return. The accent, of course, belonged to the boy on the other end of the line, a rather good looking young man with blond and light brown hair, mixed together and complementing the smooth lines of his face.

"Yeah, that'll be a riot! But we got some of the newbies on our team too, Ace. Stupid no tryouts rule..."

"Don't worry Wally." Ace laughed. "We just have to make sure we whip them into shape fast. You know coach doesn't go easy on anybody who's new to this, those freshmen will be rowing stars in no time!" He finished, laughing into the phone again. "Of course, not as good as us." He added.

"Yeah, you can say that again." Wally, who held the tittle of crew captain, replied. He was the best rower at the school, and Ace was his runner up, being only slightly weaker than him. Having the two of them in the same boat insured they would win any race the varsity team of 4 entered. "I gotta go finish gettin' all my junk together, mate." Wally grumbled into the phone.

"Yeah, me too." Ace replied, annoyed as well that they had to bring all 30 pounds of books with them to the first day of school. "Catch you later."

"Yeah man, see ya." and with that, Wally pushed the red "End call" button.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

Her clock dutifully continued it's revolutions.

A few miles away, two friends who were walking their way to school were having a similar conversation.

"Man, I don't care! We don't need any 'extra help', OK?" A tall 15 year old exclaimed to his friend, as they rounded a corner onto a long winding road that led through cornfields and was shaded by tall trees along the side of the pavement. As he said extra help, he made air quotation marks and his voice was dripping with sarcasm. He wearing a white T-shirt, covered by a blue unbuttoned dress shirt, and light brown cargo pants, which complemented his walnut colored hair. "We're awesome at what we do! We don't need any stupid freshmen!"

His friend, a teenager with a red T-shirt and dark blue jeans, looked solemn, as if he was thinking hard. His eyebrows scrunched together, slightly grazing the rim of his pitch black sunglasses. "I'm not saying we aren't good sailors, Hoagie." the other teenager stated matter-of-factly. "In fact, we're the best around here. But the crew team won 11 of their 14 races last year. We won 7." As he finished his statement, a small breeze swept by, jostling both the corn and the tips of his short, spiked black hair.

"I don't care Nigel! Our race count doesn't give their captain the right to walk around like-" He thrust his chest out and put on a bad Australian accent. "Hey, I'm Wally! I'm the crew team captain, and that makes me better than you! Cruddy sailors!" Hoagie relaxed a bit, dropping the act. "It annoys the crap outta me!"

Nigel laughed a bit at his friend's imitation of the crew captain. Wally could be a little arrogant at times, that was for sure. Yes, the sailing team didn't have as many trophies, but they were at least a bit more courteous than the crew team. Also, Nigel was certain that in a race directly between varsity crew and sailing, sailing would win on a good, windy day.

"I know it's annoying, but we'll find a way to put them in their place this year."

"Yeah, we better."

They continued walking, nearing the school, and the large river that was adjacent to it. Nigel had the feeling that a lot was going to change on those waters in the coming months. He had no idea just how right he was, and how significant his role would become.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

Like a bomb patiently waiting for it's timer to reach zero.

The two sailors got to school early, but not as early as two girls who were now under a large tree by the math and science building. They were talking and savoring the feeling of sitting on grass, damp and chilled by the ending night time. It was nicely contrasted by the warmth and brightness of the now fully visible sun.

"So, who's your money on this time?" a blond haired girl with an orange tank top and worn blue jeans whispered to her calm friend, who was sitting cross-legged next to her. As she asked her question they both watched the two sailors swagger by. (A/N: I couldn't resist.)

"Abby thinks they're all gonna wind up on the loosing side if they keep this goin'. It's not like any of them are happy about the rivalry, Rachel." The other girl replied, without even looking up at the two gentlemen. In fact, she pulled her red hat down over her eyes and her chocolate colored features a little as they went by. In addition to her hat, Abby wore a dark blue hoodie and white shorts that matched the white sandals she had on.

Rachel, on the other hand, couldn't help but keep her eyes on the red shirted boy, sighing a little as she watched his slender form saunter into the building. She was obviously off inside her own head, spaced out from her conversation with Abby.

"Girl? You OK?" Abby asked, snapping her fingers near Rachel's ear. This seemed to bring her back.

"What? Oh, yeah!" She said, laughing a little. "Just thinking, that's all. I suppose you're right, but I don't think sailing and crew will be playing nice anytime soon." she stated. Rachel looked down as she said that, and started absently playing with a piece of grass she plucked from the earth. "I wish they would though..."

"Me too, girl. Me too." Abby said, as she rested a reassuring hand on Rachel's shoulder. She still looked a little downcast, but she smiled. So that was something, Abby figured. She wasn't one for drama, and just wanted to make sure her friends were happy. Unfortunately, there was a certain drama to her life, one that this dumb rivalry only placated.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick. _

With a final sweep over the black 12 written on a background of white, 6 'o clock was reached, and the slightly deafening drone of an alarm bell signified that fact.

With little pause, a porcelain white hand shot out from the covers with the intent of silencing the monstrosity of a noise. The slam of a fist on the button of the clock quickly achieved the said goal, and with a groan, Kuki rose from the comforting slumber she had been dragged away from, sitting cross legged on her relaxing covers and basking in the fresh orange light of the sun as it wrapped snuggly around her body. As she reached her arms into the air, dainty muscles tensed in a stretch, her mind began to rev up in preparation for the coming day.

School.

The concept hit her like a train, and she was suddenly filled with the urge to fall back down into her bed and forget she had even woken up. But she knew she couldn't. After all, what kind of impression would it make if she didn't even show up on the first day of school? So she dragged herself out of bed, and prepared for the new experiences today would bring.

After her morning routine was complete, and she looked presentable, she journeyed back to her room to pick her outfit. A green sweater with sleeves that hung just beneath her wrists, encroaching on her palms and thumb. A pair of black skinny jeans that hugged her thin but attractive legs nicely. Black shoes that matched her pants. A green headband to hold back her long obsidian-hued hair. Finally, a pair of emerald stud earrings. This was what wound up on her body after much deliberation and worry. Too much worry and nervousness for anyone to handle at seven in the morning. After getting her books ready and hugging her mother and sister goodbye, she was out the door, and walking toward a school, and an adventure.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

Even in the absence of it's owner, the second hand of Kuki's clock continued it's marathon of incremental running. Around and around, endlessly and inevitably counting. Sequencing the events of the world as it's 8 billion people went about their lives. The actions of a world, mapped out in time by the jumping of a red needle.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

As the world went about it's business, and the sophomores of Trinston high school converged on the campus, the quiet ticking of time echoed faintly through Kuki's now empty room. Counting. Watching. Waiting.

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**Why does this rivalry exist? How far will it go? How much will it change? What will Kuki's first day hold for her? Will she make any friends? Maybe even a few enemies? These are the questions I'm hoping you have, because it's what I'm gonna write about. Also, I love symbolism. ^.^ Yes yes, I know, I may be going a little crazy with the time idea, but it contributes to the story immensely, if you can see how. ****Anyway, I'm sure you can see the relationships developing, slightly. But I haven't introduced all the characters yet! I've still got quite a few up my sleeve. They all play an important role, I promise! This will be quite a story by the way, I'm not sure how long it'll be but I know it won't be short at all. Also, it gets funnier, and more dramatic. Like I said, the beginnings of my stories are sorta blah. It was fun to write though!**

**Now, I need to know what you like, and what you don't like, so I can write this story better for you! So, send me a review and just imagine me high-fiving you for it.**

**I drive above the speed limit.  
Cone.**


	2. Running Into Each Other

**Ugh. Sorry I didn't update for over a week, but don't worry, I'm not dead. I've come prepared with a giant bowl of chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate syrup, so I should have enough of a sugar high to finish this whole chapter. **

**Disclaimer: KND doesn't belong to me... Not yet anyway. I have a black ops team that's going to change that in exactly 6 minutes and 17 seconds... Yeah, I wish.**

**I'm powered by water wheels.  
Cone.**

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Kuki walked up the road, gazing at the approaching buildings with a look of both wonder, and a slight bit of fear. It was a completely new environment to her, and she had no idea what to expect. Would she make any friends? Would her teachers like her? What was she going to do for a sport? Was she even capable of doing anything sport-like? What if there was a lot of homework? These questions and many more floated through her head as she neared the scenic buildings, buried away behind trees and cornfields.

Meanwhile, inside the halls of Trinston, the duo that led the school's crew team, Wally and Ace, were busy trying to figure out what classes they had. They both stood by Ace's locker, mulling over their schedules.

"Well, it looks like we've got geometry first." Ace mumbled, staring at his schedule.

"Yeah... Damn, I think there's a sailor in that class." Wally groaned, slamming back against the lockers and beginning to slowly slide down. "...Ugh, I gotta go get some extra books, I'll meet ya there." With that he regained his composure, bouncing off the lockers with his back and turning to Ace.

"Sure, see you there." Ace turned and began walking off with a backward wave directed at Wally. "Don't get lost! I know how you are when it comes to navigating!" He yelled with a laugh.

"Ha ha. Very funny!" Wally exclaimed in return, but the joke did make him smile, even if only a little bit. "Now, where's my cruddy locker..." He questioned himself, beginning to walk off aimlessly. Maybe Ace was right...

Meanwhile, a skinny Japanese girl was slicing through the halls so quickly the tiles in her wake should have been melting a bit. As she searched repeatedly for a door number that seemed to never even be close to appearing, she grew more and more frantic, until she shot round a corner that another student was already nearing. The next thing she knew, she slammed into an orange hoodie and sent both her and her victim sprawling to the ground.

"Oh my gosh! Are you OK?" Kuki freaked out, her face turning a full pale. "I-I'm sorry! I was just looking for my class! I didn't think I'd run into you! Are you hurt? Can I help? Please say someth-" Kuki was cut off when a hand gently covered her mouth.

"Woah, woah, I'm fine! Geez... I think the real question here is are you feeling OK?" Wally removed his hand and used his arm to support him as he sat up to get a look at the girl sitting in front of him. "You seem pretty... high-strung." He stated simply.

"Oh... Sorry." She mumbled.

"It's alright, the first day's a bit stressful for everyone." He stood up, and offered his hand to her. She looked up at him and blushed before grasping his hand. Now, Wally got a good look at her, and he felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes followed the flow of her midnight black hair and got lost in her violet irises. He felt his breath catch in his throat and his knees weaken. The way her hair drifted over her shoulders as her slender form straightened up in front of him, so that her pure white face was level with his... She was _beautiful. _

"Uum... M-My name's Wally... What's yours?"

"Kuki..." She said with a slight smile on her face. Her head was tilted down, but her eyes were locked onto his. "I can't find my first class." She felt a little silly asking for directions, but at least she found someone who was friendly. Not to mention cute...

"Oh, well I'm not so sure I can help with that." He said, laughing. "I'm just kiddin', what class are you looking for?"

"Science. Do you know where room 204 is?"

"Oh, yeah. My first class is actually right near there... I think... I can show you where it is, if you want." He said with a wobbly smile. He really was bad with directions.

"Yes, thank you! Let's go, I don't want to be late!" and with that the girl was off again. Wally realized he still had to go get his books, or he would be the one who was late, but he decided to help Kuki find her class anyway. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time he had missed the start of a class, and he wasn't in a hurry to get to geometry anyway.

So off the two of them went. Wally led the way to Kuki's science class, a building over and down a hallway. By the time they got there, it was 8:01. Kuki didn't have to worry too much about getting marked as late, but it would take wally about another 4 minutes to get his books and get to class, which wasn't good for him. As he ran for his locker, where the books he needed sat waiting, he passed a simple clock high on the wall, which displayed for all to see that Wally was going to get it from his teacher.

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

As he ran by once again, book bag slung over his shoulder, he took a moment to curse out the rhythmic beating of the red needle, before continuing his sprint to the geometry room.

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**Yes, I know, the end of the chapter is crappy. I rushed it a little bit so I could start the next section. You see, I had plans for one big chapter, with a lot of stuff happening, but it'll take to long to get it out, and I don't want to make you wait. So I'm dividing the chapter up into sections. Just in case you're interested, when I come to where the original chapter 2 would have ended, I'll mention it in the author's note thingys... Anyway, I'm going to start working on the next part when I finish writing this note here, so you can expect chapter 3 quite soon. Now, please review this part, it'll make me joyful and hopefully it'll help dismantle the sickness I have. :P **

**Creative signature here.  
Cone.**


	3. An Old Enemy, A New Friend

**Ok, next section of the story. I'm feeling good about this part. Not much else to say... Oh, wait! I want to see some reviews, so I'm gonna hold off on posting the next chapter until I get 10 reviews or one week passes. Whichever comes first.**

**Disclaimer****: Do I look like a man who ****_owns_**** things to you?**

**Limited edition.  
Cone.**

* * *

"Mr. Beatles, Glad you decided to finally join us. You're not starting off the school year on a good note by being late to class. Now have a seat."

These were the words that greeted Wally upon his arrival to his geometry class. They just went in one ear and out the other as he looked for his buddy Ace. After only a few seconds of searching he saw both his friend, and the empty chair next to him, so he dragged himself over and sat down there, amidst the snickering of the rest of the class. Wally was glad he still got a seat next to Ace, but he noticed with some aggravation that one of the sailor kids was in front of him. He seemed to remember that the kid's name was Hoagie. The teacher, a short, portly man of about 40, promptly resumed the beginning of the year lectures, which involved fascinating topics like book policies, and homework expectations. Wally quickly tuned him out and began talking to Ace.

"Dude, I can't believe we're stuck in a class with one of _them._" Wally whispered to Ace.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Ace rolled up a piece of paper into a ball and flicked it at the back of Hoagie's head. Hoagie tried to act like he didn't notice, but Ace could see him flinch. "We can still have a little fun though." He whispered, snickering. "Hey, why were you late anyway?" He suddenly asked.

"I met a girl in the hallway and-"

"Ooh, a girl, you say?" Ace cut him off, a grin showing on his face. Wally blushed a little bit.

"Damnit Ace, that's not what I meant!" Wally whisper-shouted.

"Hey, chill bro. I was just wond-" Ace said, taunting the poor captain, but he was cut off when an exquisitely made paper airplane jabbed right into the side of his head.

"Ow! You little..." Ace quickly snapped his head to Hoagie, and Wally followed his flaming gaze, but Hoagie was just sitting there as if nothing had happened. Ace and Wally couldn't see it, but Hoagie was grinning.

"Oh, it's on." Wally said, taking out a few rubber bands he kept in his pocket. After slinging one over his thumb and drawing it back with his other hand, he took careful aim and hit directly on his mark; the back of Hoagie's neck.

"Ow!" Hoagie growled, loud enough to attract a little attention from surrounding students. Angered, he turned around in his chair to face Wally head on.

"What is your _problem_?" Hoagie growled.

"I don't like being locked in a room with losers." Wally retorted.

"Yeah, it's bad karma. We have a practice race next saturday, so take your bad luck somewhere else." Ace chipped in.

"Oh, do big, dumb crew captain and his little friend wanna row on saturday? Too bad, I hear it's supposed to be nice and windy." Hoagie said with a smirk. "You know what that means. Have fun watching us from the beach, jerk."

"Oh, can it you oaf!" Wally threatened, his voice dripping venom.

"Why don't you make me?" Hoagie said, standing up from his chair.

"Windbag!" Wally shouted, standing up to get right in Hoagie's face.

"Row-tard!" Hoagie returned, pressing his forehead against Wally's, and wishing he could shoot a laser beam right through Wally's head.

"Beatles, Gilligan." The teacher, Mr. Grodsky, droned. He was clearly bored by the whole situation, and nobody could blame him. He'd seen it many times. "I know you're teenagers, and you are prone to certain... _urges_, but do try your best to keep the flirting out of my classroom." He said, in his monotonous voice. Feeling the effects of the burn, both students sank back down into their chairs, but not before giving each other one last glare.

"Sorry, Mr. Grodsky." Hoagie mumbled.

"My bad." Wally added, in an equally soft voice. "Prick." He thought to himself.

Ace leaned over to Wally, once again whispering. "Don't worry man, we'll settle this on the water."

"Damn right, we will." Wally said, still staring angrily at the back of Hoagie's head.

For lack of anything better to do, Wally resorted to staring intently at the clock, as it made it's rounds, counting down to the moment Wally was waiting for. The end of class. Of course, this class was just followed by another, but still, it would be nice to just get away from the stupid sailor...

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

_Tick._

What Wally didn't know was that a certain delicate asian girl who was locked away in science class happened to be watching the time as well, out of shear boredom. Kuki just sat on her stool, head propped on her hand, repeatedly blowing stray strands of hair out of her face. Well, she was, until she felt a tap on her shoulder. A bit surprised, she turned to see who had tried to get her attention, and found herself looking into the deep brown eyes of a blond girl who was sitting next to her.

"Hi!" Rachel greeted.

"Oh, hi." Kuki said in response.

"You're the new girl right? I heard your name was Kuki." Rachel said, in about as friendly a way as possible.

"Yeah... What's your name?" Kuki asked shyly.

"Oh, my names Rachel. How are you liking the school?" she asked, clearly interested in talking to Kuki.

"It's pretty cool. The river is awesome!" Kuki said. warming up to the conversation.

"Yeah, everyone seems to think that." Rachel said, spacing off. "It's too bad there's always fighting happening on it."

"What do you mean?"

"The crew team and the sailors, the two water sports we have here. They're always fighting. They can't stand each other... It really sucks."

"Oh..." Kuki said, frowning a little. "That does suck. Why are they fighting?"

"It's mostly because of that hothead crew captain, Wally Beatles."

Kuki froze for a second. The name of the kid she had talked to in the hallway was Wally.

"Wait, is he a blonde? With an orange hoodie?"

"Yep, that's him. Have you met him?"

"Yeah! But he seemed so nice when I talked to him! He's the reason I even got to this class on time." Kuki stammered. She honestly didn't see how the rivalry could be his doing. He was fairly kind to her, even though he was in a rush.

"Well, I don't know how you did it, but you got on his good side. Congratulations, you've already done the impossible on your first day!" Rachel said with a laugh, but it was a cold one. "My advice is to avoid him. He just causes trouble." She said.

"Oh." Kuki said, downcast.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of other people to meet around here!" Rachel said, back to her happy state. "In fact, why don't you sit with me at lunch, OK? I have some friends who will want to meet you." Rachel said, giving Kuki a pat on the shoulder.

"Ok, sounds like fun!" Kuki said, back to her usual energized self. But Wally still lingered in the back of her mind.

_"He was nice... I just don't see how the fighting could be his fault... But Rachel said he's the reason nobody gets along..." _Kuki continued think about Wally through the rest of science class, and by the end of it she had just resolved to ignore him. She wasn't happy about it though.

As the ring of the bell echoed up and down the hallways of Trinston, Kuki moved on to her history class. She was about to greet the teacher when she stopped dead in the doorway, mouth practically agape. Wally was sitting in the back of the classroom, looking right at her. She saw him smile, and raise his hand in both a wave and a summon to come over and sit with him.

_Great... So much for ignoring him..._

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**My plot engines are revving up! Vrooooom! :D ...Ok, so that's chapter 3. So, what'd you think? What'd you feel, man? Whatever it was, leave it in a review before you carry on with your things, because remember, I want to get to 10 reviews or it'll be a week until the next chapter gets posted. Only ****you**** can make me write faster! :P The beginning of this chapter was a little... bleh... but I warmed up shortly into the writing and I'm happy with most of this chapter. I hope it makes you happy too, that's why I post this stuff! :D**

**At parties, I'm that guy with a lampshade on his head.  
Cone.**


	4. Chapter 4 Preview Thing

**Okay, so... just want to let you guys know that I'm sorry I haven't updated in millennia. I got lots of homework, some degree of relationshippical (Ok, that ****_must_**** be a word, like, right now) issues, crew races on sundays, and some other stuff. Basically, I'm going to write whenever I can. Whether it's on my computer or my phone or on some paper or carved into a rock, I'm going to advance this story however I can. However, the following chapter is going to take a bit of time, still. I don't want to continue to tease you guys, like I've wound up doing for... how long has it been, like, three weeks now? Maybe four? So, I'm going to post the beginning of the next chapter right here, right now. It's a short little piece of what I've now resumed working on, but it should keep you happy for a little bit while I finish the rest of the chapter. Hopefully future updates will be more speedy than this one.**

**Spelling annoys me alot.  
Cone.**

* * *

_"Now what am I supposed to do?!" _Kuki wondered, annoyed by the fact that on her first day, she was already facing drama. _"I can't just ignore him, that'd be mean... I guess I can ask him about the fighting, and see if Rachel really was right about this." _With that idea, sitting next to Wally didn't seem like a bad thing anymore, and for some reason this made Kuki really happy. So she walked across the smooth, tiled floor and plopped down in the seat next to a very attentive Wally.

"Um... hey Kuki!" He greeted with a warm smile, and Kuki couldn't help but feel a bit lighter on the inside. How could Rachel be correct? He had the cutest smile she had ever seen.

"Hi Wally." She said, returning the pleasant gaze. The conversation couldn't go much farther though, because their history teacher promptly told the other students who had been arriving to take their seats, and staggered to get up from his creaky office chair behind his desk. With a shake of his shoulders and a straightening of his tie, he went right into the lesson plan for the day.

"We're going to be doing a partner project to start off the year. I feel it will be a good chance for you all to get to know each other a little better... and I've already assigned the pairings." He added his last statement in as the students began their heated debates with each other, in that silent language of hand waving, finger pointing, and word mouthing, which teenagers think only they are capable of understanding.

Suddenly, Wally looked at Kuki, and Kuki looked at Wally. They were both wondering the same thing.

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**I know, it's not a lot, and the eloquence is kind of crappy. But there's plot advancement, so that's... something. The rest will come out shortly, so don't fret. I'll be updating more frequently too, as I said. Sorry you had to wait, but I'm back now, and I'm going to try as hard as I can to keep it that way. To be honest, this is more of a note to readers, and the preview was just an excuse to post this.**

**Sleep mode deactivate.  
Cone.**


End file.
